Menifee kidnapping suspects at-large, police ask for help

Riverside Sheriff’s deputies are searching for two more people suspected in a kidnapping for ransom incident earlier this month.

On Aug. 8, a woman told officers that two armed men forced her from her home in the 27000 block of Holland Road in Menifee, making her obtain cash to repay a debt and ensure a safe release, a sheriff’s department news release states.

The suspects have been identified as Fallbrook residents Jesse Aaron, 32, and Nathan Lopez, 31. Aaron is being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of kidnapping and false imprisonment.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has issued arrest warrants for Lopez and Jacqueline Smith-Perez, a 31-year-old Menifee resident who deputies say was also involved in the crime. The sheriff’s department has asked citizens to report sightings of either suspect by calling 911.

On Aug. 18, the Menifee Police Department and San Diego Sheriff’s Department conducted a search in the 1200 block of Juliette Place in Fallbrook, where two people believed to be involved in the crime were located.

Jedediah Shaw, 31, ran from deputies but was apprehended in the backyard of a neighbor’s home. He is being held on suspicion of kidnapping and drug sales.

Kelly Crossman, 27, was arrested in the house and is being held on identical charges.

“The investigation revealed Mr. Shaw and Ms. Crossmen… were complicit in the kidnapping,” the release states.

Deputies also found various contraband in the Fallbrook home, including an illegal firearm and 15 ounces of methamphetamine, the news release states.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Menifee police Officer Cardinale at 951-210-1000, or email PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org.

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